Miriam Blanco & Gentlemen, condom size is important!

Gentlemen, condom size is important!

I had a huge realization/ego boost recently. I can’t believe it took me til I was 28 years old to figure this out.

I’ve always struggled with condoms. They never rolled on easy for me, I’d normally have to grab the ends and pull them down on me and gently snap them down at my base. It was always kind of embarrassing and put a weird pause on my sex.

Sometimes the condom won’t be on correctly and it would actually slip off during sex making it risky, other times it would be super tight and I’d be hurting for a while after I took it off making it difficult for me to go for round 2.

I tried so many different kinds of brands and styles, some were slightly better than other. I just hated condoms but I hate STDs and babies more so I just figured it is what it is.

I never considered myself to be particularly “well endowed.” I mean, I kind of knew I was somewhat above average just based on feedback I’ve gotten from sexual partners but never thought too much of it.

Finally this weekend I decided to try Magnums. Figured, eh, worst case I just wasted a couple bucks and embarrass myself with my partner by trying a condom on that’s too big for me.

But let me tell you! First of all, rolled on great and stayed put, sex felt infinitely more enjoyable, no pain at all after. I felt like it was a whole new world.

I know, I know, this sounds like a huge humblebrag and most of you are rolling your eyes at this point, but I can’t stress this enough.

I don’t know how many guys are struggling with condoms during sex, and if you’ve had embarrassing encounters leaving them behind inside your partner before or if you find yourself feeling too uncomfortable to go for round two because it feels like someone tightly wound a rubber band around your dick so you hated them all together.

Give a bigger size a shot! If it works out, it is a complete game changer. I just never really particularly thought of myself as a “Magnum” guy and the idea of buying a condom too big for me and embarrassing myself to a partner always kind of turned me off from ever trying.

I can’t believe it took me 11 years of sex to finally give it a shot. I feel like an idiot for all the bad and/or embarrassing sex I’ve had over the years that I could’ve prevented with a better fitting condom.

_____

Hailsagansdick: Alternatively, don’t be too proud to admit you need a smaller condom if you do.

Certified_as_sane: If they are available in your country I strongly recommend

[they fit](https://www.theyfit.co.uk/)

It was a revelation.

wiinkme: People think of Magnum as a length thing. I did. But for similar reasons, tried them for the girth fit. Amazing difference for those of us of more average length but above average thickness. I was embarrassed to purchase the first time…very happy I did.

Another thing is they give you a tiny bit more slide at the tip. More rubbing. Many of us have q hard time getting there in condoms because they are skin tight but less sensitive. Put a tiny drop of lube down inside at the tip and it feels much closer to no condom. Between the lube and the better fit, it made things much better for my wife (who can’t use the pill) and I. Now I don’t have to pound for an hour to get there.

soc20: I’ve also found that brands can make a big difference in this department. Like, I’ve never successfully used a Lifestyles but I’ve gotten some higher quality brands that stretch better to work too.

CantStopStaring: OP, I’m really excited you found the right fit! Everyone else, definitely check out **[myone](https://www.myonecondoms.com/pages/find-your-fit)** to see if you have an unusual size, and don’t be afraid to try other brands. I really like a super-thin condom made of polyurethane (not polyisoprene or latex) so I get Okamoto 001 in their “Large” size. I’m not sure if that means I’m big, or just big for the Japanese market, but the fit is great… and having 001 thickness makes it feel like next to nothing.

adi_vale: The best condoms i ever used were Skyn. For some reason. Any other brand I just couldn’t stand.

escope7: You can also try the toilet paper test! If it fits snug in the middle of a roll of TP you should buy average condoms, if it’s too big you should wear large and if it has lots of wiggle room you should wear a smaller one.

giggityguy1: This is something they don’t teach you for some reason, especially in the US, but condom fit is incredibly, *incredibly* important. Not only is it safer, since there is much less risk of slipping or breaking, but it also feels so much better to have a condom that fits. Condoms that are too tight hurt and are a distraction, and ones that are too loose are always slipping and minimize contact. But even beyond the active distractions, a poorly fitted condom just doesn’t do the things that a condom should do to make it feel better for you, and contributes to a lot of the sensation loss.

European condoms usually have very specific sizes, like measured in millimeters specific. In the US market, advertisers are too scared of bruising their customers’ fragile egos so they don’t dare encourage you to know your size, and instead just market normal and magnum condoms. Which I think in the end probably hurts them, and their customers, since so many men and women just hate condoms because they’ve never had a good experience.

I wish stuff like this came up more in sexual education. It doesn’t have to just be about how not to have a bad sex life, it can also be about how to have a good one. And knowing your condom size does both.

AvantGauche: Man seriously. I’m exactly the same. I was having sex with condoms that just didn’t fit for nearly a decade until I was 28. I tried out some MyOnes and changed everything. Finally no more discomfort, no mkre numbness, and cause of that no more anxiety about condoms.

Edit: if you wear condoms you should check out the sidebar info on /r/bigdickproblems

longtimelurker-: I (F) shared this exact experience with my ex back in college. Commons were always uncomfortable, and so tight it caused a bump where the condom ended causing soreness for me. I think I got a magnum in a bag of free condoms that were given out on campus. We tried it for the fuck of it, it fit like a glove and all our sex discomfort problems were fixed!

Conundrum1911: Similar experience. Skyn Large work best for me.

mareenah: Yeah, when you see women inflate condoms and say ‘look how much they can fit inside’ they really don’t understand. Just because it CAN stretch, doesn’t mean it feels the least bit good. Proper sizing is really important and, actually, well-endowed guys can’t even find good sizes to buy in store because they’re not even *legal* to sell them in the US.

prnlrkgw: >I never considered myself to be particularly “well endowed.”

Bull. Every guy has measured at least once and then googled what average sizes are.

>Give a bigger size a shot!

Or a smaller size if that’s how you are! No shame! You don’t get to control your size so don’t let others judge you for it!

Eloquent_Despair: The way I’ve heard it, the situation is as follows.

No guy wants to buy small condoms. So they labelled the small ones as “average”, and the average ones as “big”. Everyone gets to feel like they’re A-OK! In other words, chances are you’re better off with a big condom.

generic1337username: Yeah, I forced on extra small condoms for about a month due to the wrapping looking almost exactly the same. That ended in two trips to the pharmacy for emergency contraception.

tkace5811: It took you 28 years that’s not bad. It took me two extra to figure it out finally. My issue was I had on multiple occasions most recently with my partner the damn thugs breaking. I got to the point where I couldn’t finish due to stress and wondering if this is going to be the time it breaks again. I’m so happy to one not only hear somebody else has had the problem but that I have found something that works.
You may also want to try magnum thins. I have found these feel absolutely amazing.

HadouTF: This used to happen to me at first: Sometimes condoms killed my erection, sometimes they didn’t, but most of the time they did **and** they broke more times than I would like to admit (luckily, before the main event). Also they felt extra tight, but I thought it was normal.

After checking, turns out most condoms (at least here) had a diameter of 54mm, at least the ones more commonly found in stores and chemists. I found out ones that were 56mm and boy, how things changed.

Classiceagle63: I had the exact same thing happen. I recently had to use condoms for a week while my girlfriend switched forms of birth control. I struggled to put the condom on and had the same issue where it wouldn’t roll down and would generally slip off when you tried. It was also very tight, like when you poke your finger through a plastic bag and it stretches and forms to shape around your finger.

Anyways, I did some research as I thought it was odd. Sure enough, magnums fit the width perfectly as well as length.

St1illhungover: Duuuuude! I totally had the same realization! I was enthused to finally having found the right size. But then I realized that I’ll have to miss out on all of the fun crazy condoms because those are all medium-sized 🙁

RollinAbes: Try the magnum bareskin.

they feel great!

tastemyvalidation: I am learning way too much about the etiquette of dicks in this thread I’m in too deep (I don’t have one)

GulliblePlankton: r/humblebrag

But hey, I’m happy for you. And you’re right, condom size is important! Not only for pleasure but for safety too!

intellifone: I went out and bought a bunch of those little 2-packs of condoms of all different types and sizes and tried them out and found one that worked well. I did this at like 22 or 23 years old and have happily been using the same kind since.

1d3kanym0re: Magnum has bad ingredients like casein and glycerin and I think they have spermicides in them too

jourdan442: +1 this made a world of difference for me too. Wish I’d known this a decade ago.

andymaq: I literally have had the same experience! About a year ago when I was 28 as well. It was quite the revelation, lol

neuenono: Late to the party, but I hope my post gets some visibility. OP is totally right, but he’s not going far enough with this. [The **average** erection is big enough for a larger condom.](https://old.reddit.com/r/sex/comments/7d4xf0/what_is_the_best_condom_and_why/dpv3ier/) “Regular” condoms are actually too tight for the average erection because 1. people might not want to buy “small” condoms, and 2. better safe than sorry. I heartily endorse Skyn Large for anyone who thinks they might want to size up. Skyn is great in general because it feels nice, acts just like latex (in terms of lube compatibility), and has no nasty smell/flavor.

The toilet-paper tube test is also a bit too stringent. A TP tube is a bit larger than 5″ around – if you are even *close* to filling up the TP tube, you should at least try a larger condom.

OP has been accused of humblebragging, but – like I said – the average erection (4.6″ girth) works with a larger condom. This is super important because if uninformed guys hate condoms (because they’re needlessly tight), the more likely they are to engage in stealthing (which is inexcusable, but not inexplicable) and/or needlessly risky sex. I’ve been there – as a teen, I was trying to get it on and kept going limp with a condom. What to do? Idiotic and regrettable unprotected sex (with her consent), of course. In the following years, I wised up and stopped having risky sex, but I still missed out on some hook-ups because I went limp with a condom. There’s *no* shame in wearing “large” condoms and no shame in recommending them. **Women**, you should keep larger condoms on hand, too. Next time a guy complains about condoms, ask him if he’s ever tried a bigger one. Most of the resistance is fueled by naivete/ignorance.

Trumpianist: My bf and I use magnums. I bought them for us because they were the only ones that were just a lubricated condom without any fancy stuff in the store I was in at the time. But they work great and my bf hasn’t suggested trying any other condoms yet.

Sausage9724: So, not to be that guy, but when I did use condoms I also had to use magnums. The best part was, when I opened up the box and was about to put it on, I looked at the girl I was with and said, “I think I just won a trip to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory.”

imakewaffles: Yep,can attest to this,while i dont have all that I need to cover the lenght of a magnum i sure as he’ll have the girth for it.

Took me a few times to get the right size,tried on a few and they were tight around the base to the point of discomfort.

May I recommend you get the magnum bareskin,great condoms,you’ll feel alot more that with regular magnums.

dtf203: Magnums are really good for those of us guys with really thick cocks. I’ve used some that seemed to cut off circulation and leave an indented ring at the base of my cock – magnums actually fit me. No issue at all with them staying on. Only complaint is that the latex is too thick and it decreases sensitivity. The actual sizes (length and diameter) are in this summary: [https://www.healthline.com/health/healthy-sex/condom-size-chart](https://www.healthline.com/health/healthy-sex/condom-size-chart)

socorra: Very informative! I’m a girl so it’s not a struggle I can say I’ve experienced but I always hear guys complaining about how uncomfortable condoms are and I wish I could direct them all to this post. Condoms were not haphazardly designed; comfort plays a huge part in how they’re supposed to be used because the majority of people rely on them for protection. It’s not like condom companies intentionally made condoms too tight so you’d enjoy sex less (that would defeat the entire purpose of their marketing).

Men should be aware of their size (and size limitations) and know what brand/size/style works for them. Once you find a good match, there really is no excuse to say that you “don’t like condoms.” The fit isn’t supposed to hinder your pleasure. I understand the preference of not using a condom because it feels better, but for safety’s and sanity’s sake – wrap it up if you need to! Protected sex is always better than no sex 🙂

Funny related sidenote: My ex was very well endowed but he didn’t fully comprehend *how* big he was until he met me. He was pretty sexually inexperienced and his exes had been too, so no constructive feedback. And it’s not like he saw a lot of penises in his day so he had nothing to compare to, other than porn, which he assumed was “average.” So the first time we got hot and heavy, my jaw dropped at how huge he was erect. He was like “what do you mean? I’m average.” Even then he thought I was just saying that to flatter him. I only had regular condoms in my purse that night but I knew right away that he would need Magnums. No chance in hell the regular sizes would fit him comfortably. So I made him out to go buy some at the 7Eleven across the street, and then he tried one on for the first time in his life. I blew his mind. He didn’t know condoms could be so nonrestricting. I definitely changed his sex life forever lol

ilovemyboots: My bf also had no idea he needed magnums until I got them. He saw the box and was surprised that’s what I got. He took le me I for the wrong ones, and I was surprised. I asked him to try them and his mind was blown (and his cock). He said he had no clue he needed those, then explained that it makes sense because he always hated condoms because he was always uncomfortable with them. I was surprised he didn’t know.

x308MrGrey: I was in Taiwan and managed to pull an American woman for sexy times. Went to the local 7/11 for some rubbers… got back to my place, feeling frisky and ready to f**k, f**k, f**k!

One problem. Taiwanese condoms are 2-3mm smaller in diameter to the EU and USA average… that thing felt so tight, in the end I had to let my fingers do the walking, then fire up the custard cannon after… (the pervert, she actually appreciated that!)

But true fellas… try them out first before you get amorous… well days before at least. Don’t let them strangle poor Pedro or slip off into the abyss….

akotlya1: I wish there were a way to see the incel reaction to this post. It has to be killing them

BlondAnorexicSkank: Lmao. I’m amazed you kept going on through the discomfort of being in too small a size for so long.

Elvishgirl: There’s a condom size for everyone.

Edit: good on you for not being one of those “my dick is just too big bb, we have to bareback” losers

sancho_clause: My home girl said she bought magnum and regular ones to see the difference, and that both were the same size

interwebbed: Oh look this dudes got a big dick.
Jk.
Surprised it took you this long tho, but at least you’re being safe!

SpicyCelery: OP, you should try Skyn or Skyn Large.

It is _hands down_ the best condom I’ve ever used. It’s a different material called polyisoprene, and it’s just better than standard latex in every way. It’s more form-fitting, has better heat transfer, isn’t slimy, and doesn’t bunch. I can’t stand standard latex, and I really don’t like the baseball bat shape of Magnums, though that might boil down to anatomy and personal preference.

Skyn Larges are supposed to be a couple millimeters wider than Magnums at the base. They may fit you even better. If not, hopefully Skyns do the job because of the form-fitting material. It doesn’t matter. The point is to find something that fits and feels best. Although r/bigdickproblems is a circle jerk if there ever was one, it does have good resources in the sidebar. Measure yourself with a tailor’s tape where you’re widest and see what condoms are in your ballpark. The sidebar resources are good because condom packaging _does not list its actual size_.

You can probably find Skyns at the pharmacy or grocery store, but you might have to go to a sex shop for the Larges, which is awesome because sex shops are _the best_. The people working there tend to be really cheerful and helpful (at least the ones near me), and the people shopping there tend to be quiet and borderline embarrassed and it’s just hilarious. And you get to see all sorts of freaky stuff such as a dildo called, I shit you not, the Bunker Buster.

rugernut13: /r/bigdickproblems

jbpshsu: Putting a condom on is like putting my leg in a trash bag.

BoogC84: I’m actually happy someone else wrote this. I too recently discovered the same thing.
After a long term relationship where we only used condoms in the beginning, and they were always ill fitting and uncomfortable, I started researching and trying on different ones. I too was a little embarrassed to try on a magnum and be embarrassed or feel ridicule. So I bought a pack and used one to masturbate with.
Was pleasantly surprised to the perfect fit and honestly a little ego boost too.

GreeceZeus: > I know, I know, this sounds like a huge humblebrag and most of you are rolling your eyes at this point, but I can’t stress this enough.

Don’t apologize for your penis size! I know you worried that some would feel bad about it – but that doesn’t have to make YOU feel bad about your own body!

T3hoofs: Umm…i don’t really want to be that guy but..how exactly does one leave a condom inside their partner if it’s too tight?

bad_toe_tattooes: OMG yes they smell like balloons! It’s so gross. My Bf and I don’t use them though we probably should since I’m old and can’t be on bc. But I don’t miss the smell of rubber at all. And yes I know it’s not rubber but GODDAMN if it doesn’t smell like it.

wheel1234: I feel like you could be husband. I know you’re not for many reasons. But I am the one that had to tell him- Dude- you’re a big fucking boy, get Magnums, because he would go through the same thing! They actually kinda hurt him, and sometimes he’d fight with one for so long he’d loose his boner. so Yes! Upvote this!! Shy guys! Don’t worry! You are Not full of yourself, get a bigger condom!
Also- yes smaller guys..come on. I had one guy think he was a big boy, and the condom came off in me.. so.. get over yourselves, big dicks don’t mean anything other than that. If you don’t wear shoes that are too big, don’t wear a condoms too big for your dick, you look stupid.
…yes I made my husband use condoms, he has stinky cum, and I hate the smell it leaves in my vagina..

WiscoProud: Regular Trojans never worked well for me. Unlubricated were near impossible to get on, and lubricated would be very tight. Any “thin” version would just break. So I decided to try magnums as well, and they fit great. Length was never the issue, but girth was much better.

Glad you found something that worked

YoichiLD: I had a similar experience, it wasn’t until I was with an older woman who was like “you need a magnum” as I struggled to get a normal condom on. It then proceeds to cut off circulation and consequently any feelings of pleasure.

I always avoided them because I thought I had a small dick, but turns out it’s not, so that was a good day for me.

Lajak_Anni: The trojan xtacy brand measure *slightly* larger.

Also you can fine even larger condoms online.

Stanley9990: R/bigdickproblems is appropriate here

warrior41882: If you want to show off, put a box of Magnums in your medicine cabinet, when folks come over and need to use your restroom they’ll Snoop and think your a big guy…

Bbdep: Another note: you may not find luck with magnum which tend to be longer but not really wider. If you cant find your luck, check out “my size” condoms (to be ordered from Europe). They come in a really wide variety of size, at this point it is almost custom.

Stazelney: Magnums are for bigger than average. The average penis is about 5.5 inches so a magnum is for “well endowed” men but mostly a marketing ploy to boost self esteem. Magnums aren’t even that much bigger but it does make a huuge difference during the dirrty when precious seconds count during condom on time.

amdpimp: So you hate babies, huh?

TheHoofer: The place to go to find the best fitting condom and learn lots more about the whole situation is [r/BDP](https://www.reddit.com/r/bigdickproblems/), the sidebar there has links to everything you need to know.

Xyzpdq456: Years ago when i was trying to sort this out,i ordered an assortment from https://www.condomania.com.

digbick-j: shape is just as important!! magnums are shaped like baseball bats, but i need a curved tube shape so if you are not baseball shape, skip magnums and try skins large instead.

bitchlasagne1: What would be good for a thick girth in Australia? Me and bf can never found a good fit they’re all too tight

langrisser: /r/bigdickproblems/ has lots of helpful sizing and measuring guides in the side bar and ironically the sub isn’t very exclusive with the rules seeming to reinforce that.

Of special note is the vanilla Trojan ENZ which has the narrowest base among “common” sized condoms.

heatherlorali: Trojans are actually kind of awful in that, compared to other brands in the US market (such as Lifestyles) their “standard” sized condoms are on average smaller than the standard sized condoms from other brands. By comparison, their Magnum condoms are not that much bigger than the standard sizes of other brands. They’re still bigger, don’t get me wrong, but people have this conception that they’re just super large condoms when they’re only minorly larger.

Tbh I wouldn’t be surprised if Trojan didn’t purposefully make their standard sizes smaller to push more people to use the Magnums (which most retailers charge more for than the standard sizes).

Regardless, kudos to you for making this post. I’m a woman and have been telling guys this for years, and often hear people be like “I can stretch a condom all the way up my arm, so how could it ever be too small for your dick?” The amount the latex has to stretch is super important in terms of preventing slippage or breaking, not even mentioning COMFORT.

naughtyhippie: I had this experience my first year of college and it was a complete game changer

GReggzz732: Certain dong wraps are definitely tighter then others.

HappyHound: Boo hoo, large penis problems. Try being below average.

canuckkat: Please make sure that your partner isn’t allergic to latex or the lube as well.

stuffedpizzaman95: Use a condom calculator, just because a dick is bigger than average doesn’t mean magnum will be better, there is top girth, bottom girth, and length. Magnums are only bigger in certain ways if I remember correctly.

Aldrenean: If Magnums are still too small for you (they’re only very slightly wider at the base), check out MyOne. They’re one of the only companies in the US (that I know of) that offers custom condom sizing in large sizes. They will send you a sampler pack of three condoms in a narrow spread of sizes for a couple bucks shipping (which I think you can get refunded toward your first purchase).

ABlokeCalledGeorge8: Lol, you’re not the only one. I sometimes wonder if I’m buying the right size. It’s kind of hard for me to roll it down and my dick feels like it’s being gripped too tight. After a while i can feel how blood isn’t flowing properly.

NotHereToday: I agree. Size is very important but so is material. I had a similar experiences with condoms coming off in the middle of things. The problem I have is latex-allergies so I have to get a slightly larger diameter, non-latex ones from a company in Germany.

noelterugibson: Facts. Magnums are more like business class condoms

YourDogsAllWet: Don’t feel too bad. It took me into my mid-30s to realize I was a Magnum guy.

LML13: It’s pretty hilarious when you figure out the magnums are the right size. I remember being insufferable to my ex for about a week after this same realization. XD

TheReaperSovereign: I’ve tried custom fitted condoms that fit me perfectly and they still feel like shit.

Luckily I’m snipped now.

MyroIII: Yeah… I tried to have a sexy weekend with the free condoms they hand out. Ended up bruising the head of my penis 🙁

Dad365: Yeah. Magnuns are better.

Stappern: also remember most commercial condoms are 50-52mm even durex xxl are 54/56 (so not that much bigger then regular ones) you might need 58-60-64 and so on. Mysize is a brand with bigger sizes and they are good quality

Galactic_WiFi: I made the same mistake my first time and it wouldn’t roll down all the way and just made everything worse, thanks OP for pointing that out

GuySajerPGDG: I once bought Durex with chineses simbols on the EXP date, and they felt really small and too tight..probably a knockoff. After that i started avoiding durex…curently using Masculan ribbed+dotted, and the feedback is pretty good!

s0ulbrother: Magnums are still pretty uncomfortable for me and honestly cut off the flow a little. But when we weren’t trying/her pill messed up fro antibiotics it was that or no sex.

whims-and-worries: I KNEW I WASNT CRAZY AND SIZES WERE A THING

If u need larger or smaller condoms than what they offer at a store and you buy and bring them ahead of time, that’s awesome. I have a box of high end condoms for all the lads who expected to not use a condom and didn’t bring one and they don’t always fit, but who’s fault was that? Not ya girl’s.

Sulticune: Yes, have had problems with condom tightness also, just tried a few days ago with my partner (i am m33) and my what a difference, it was comfortable and could get it on/off much easier!

AlfredJFuzzywinkle: I tried an XXL Kimono brand condom and it was so snug I couldn’t get the damn thing on!

SpunTheOne: What about the poor babies? lol. I think drumpf said something like this a while ago.

SOFA_KING_FUTURE: Hunblebrag

weekenderx: Way to go! Great way to share that you’ve got a BIG COCK! Here here! Buy this man a drink!